The Watchman The Watchman Exalting our blessed savior and his wonderful Word! Articles
A Breath Of Fresh Air
2007-06-18 03:44:00 Yesterday was a breath of fresh air for this weary man. After months of being surrounded by people who I spiritually have very little in common with, I was able to spend the entirety of yesterday with another Christian guy. I didn't have to listen to cussing all day. I didn't have to listen to vulgarity. It was sooo nice.I met a guy at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Columbus named W.C. That stands for Wilbert Clinton. I would go by W.C., also if I had a name like that. He is a really nice guy. He and his wife opened their home to me and took me in as if I were his brother. He and his wife have really been a blessing to me.They are so southern. I am a Yankee. I was born a Yankee and I will die a Yankee. But I love spending time with southerners! For one they actually put sugar in their tea. I have no idea how my parents stand their bland, sugarless tea. But since I have discovered nice, thick, sweet tea I have grown addicted to it. I drink it every chance that I get. ... More About: Breath , Fresh , Brea
Javelin School
2007-06-03 14:49:00 Having graduated Basic Combat Training this past Friday, I have been moved to an Airborne Hold unit. The barracks for this unit is just down the street from my Basic Training building. I am still living on Sand Hill (Infantry training ground). There are still so many rules and regulations that govern every aspect of my life. I am still in what is called ?Initial Entry Training? status. The only reason for this is that they happen to be out of rooms at the Airborne Hold that is located on Main post. As a result, I am still bound by the curfews and such of Sand Hill.Oh well.In the meantime, I have been selected and enrolled in a Javelin Gunner course. The Javelin is a medium range, shoulder-fired, fire-and-forget, anti-tank missile system. It is basically an extremely advanced image-guided, shoulder-fired missile. It can do some major damage. We have spent the first two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, studying its functions in the classrooms. We are going to spend the remainde... More About: School
Shark Attack
2007-05-27 15:02:00 Throughout the course of my Basic Training , there will several members of the cadre who were taking pictures of the various events that took place. We were unable to see these pictures during our trip through basic. Now, however, they are posted on the internet and I have been able to browse through them.The picture attached to this blog is a photo of me on my first day at basic. They drove us in on busses and had us load our duffle bags on the front of us. We then took our laundry back and had to hold it above our heads. It was an annoying task. The Drill Sargeants ran back and forth screaming at us. One by one they would call our names and assign us to the platoon that we would be in. They would stop us all and "smoke" us (make us do pushups and stuff) and then they would tell us to load our stuff back up. This event is called "shark attack." It was a unique experience. I am excited that there is a picture of me in this event! You can see that I just dropped my belongi... More About: Shark , Shark Attack , Attack , Atta
Graduation Day!
2007-05-26 03:28:00 I am happy to announce that I graduated from Infantry Basic Training today. I will be able to post a bit more regularly once again. I am now 'back on the block!' Thanks everybody for your prayers and support. My wife and I appreciate all the prayers and comments while I was away. Thank You! More About: Graduation , Adua
Update on Nicholas
2007-05-02 00:45:00 It has been awhile so I thought that you all would like an update on Nicholas . He has finished with the first part of his training and is now in what is called AIT or Advanced Individual Training. He will finish with this and will have his graduation on May 25, 2007. His graduation is currently 23 days away and we are both looking forward to this day. I was able to speak with him on the phone this past weekend and he is doing very well. He was positive and upbeat which is how he is every time I talk to him. I know several people that have been in the service and they all have said that Basic Training was the worst part of their training. My husband always talks about his training in a positive manner. God is so good to us. I have been able to be an example to several of my co workers since Nicholas has been gone. They have come to me seeking advice and I was able to give them guidance from the Bible. There will be several changes in our lives between now and July when Lord wi... More About: Update , Hola
Letter from Basic# 8
2007-03-13 02:53:00 February 15, 2007 Dear Sweetheart, It has almost been a day since I wrote you last. I tried to call you on Sunday and found out that cell phones do not accept collect calls. I was disappointed when I didn?t get to talk to you. I can?t wait until I can talk to you everyday. I love you and I miss you! Today was freezing cold. We had to wait in formation for over an hour and a half. Even with my long johns and my overcoat, I was unable to stay warm. They have us get in formation at 4:15 A.M. for a meal that begins at 5:30 A.M. It was very cold! We got our dog tags today. SWEET. My dog tags are the only necklace that I ever had and probably will every will wear. I like this particular necklace though, because of what it represents! We have a guy here who has been trying to get out of the military. First he tried to get a medical discharge by saying that his arm hurt. Then he tried to get out by saying that he was gay. He reminds me of Klinger from the old show called M.A.S.H. Kling... More About: Letter , Basic
Letters from Basic#7
2007-03-13 02:27:00 February 14, 2007 Dear Sweetheart, Happy Valentines Day! I love you very much and I am so glad that you are my valentine even if we are a long distance away from each other. You are most definitely the sweetest girl in the world. I hope that your valentines day is wonderful even though we are apart. I wish and pray that you would be happy. I love you! I slept great last night. I didn?t have to get up for an hour of guard duty last night, so I got to sleep straight through the night. Granted I had to get up at 3:30 A.M. to start my day, I still feel great. I should get a good night of sleep again tonight. I was supposed to have guard duty buy my shift got canceled. A bunch of guys decided to show up late to formation this morning. Their punishment was to perform fire duty for at least two hours tonight. Their extra hours bumped my schedule off the list. I like that! I got my warm weather boots replaced today. They were cutting into my heel, the top of my foot and the outside of ... More About: Letter , Letters , Basic
Letters from Basic # 6
2007-03-13 02:23:00 February 13, 2007 Dear Sweetheart, I hope you know that I love you so much and that I pray for you everyday. I think of you all day and I miss you so much. When you see my on family day and graduation day, I will be in awesome shape. AWESOME! We took pictures our pictures yesterday in our uniforms. I may have already told you. I ordered some items that came along with it. I ordered a photo CD, a year book for our class, a DVD of our class, and a few other things. Soon I will have pictures of me by the Flag just like Jarod has. Speaking of Jarod, I have been bragging about him. If he reads this, I hope that he doesn?t get mad about that. I would like to know what medals he received when he was in the service. Last night one of the drill Sergeants gave a motivating speech about the extremists. We were all shouting and cheering by the end of it. It is amazing the lever of hatred that some extremists have for America and Americans. I have been memorizing a lot of material lately.... More About: Letter , Letters , Basic
Letter From Basic #5
2007-03-13 01:49:00 Nick and I would like to thank all of you that have been praying for us. It is a blessing. I have watched God bless in the past month. There are days that it seems so rough and I feel that we will never be together again but, then I get a letter from my husband and I almost feel that we are together. I hope that you all enjoy reading his letters. At the end of these letters I will post his address. If any of you would like to write him he would welcome the letters. Please include your return address on them or else they will not be received. May God bless you all. February 12, 2007 Dear Sweetheart, I love you more today than I ever have. You are so wonderful and beautiful. I love you more than you could imagine. I think of you all day, everyday. The thought of seeing you on graduation day drives me to do more and to do better. I am having a great time today. After our day was over, we came back to the barracks to shower and to hit the rack. A few of us decided to do a few pt e... More About: Letter , Basic
Letters from Basic #4
2007-03-02 09:39:02 Dear Sweetheart, February 11, 2007Today is my first Sunday in the military. They offer religious services, but none of them are Baptist. They have a protestant service that I will be attending, We got to sleep in today until almost 5:00 a.m. I had guard duty from 3:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m. and then went back to bed for about an hour. Even with guard duty I got more sleep last night than any other night so far. So far, everything is very fun and I am making a bunch of friends. We have been taking it easy today even more than yesterday. Valentine?s Day is coming up in just a few days and we are going to be apart. I love you and I miss you. So far it seems like I am gaining the respect of most of the guys. Besides, I?m the one that got a ninety-eight on the ASVAB. I have the highest ASVAB score in my platoon. We have been doing some crazy stuff during our free time. Some of the guys did upside down pushups. W... More About: Letter , Letters , Basic
Letters from Basic 2 & 3
2007-03-02 09:39:02 Dear Sweetheart, February 9, 2007 I have not yet mailed my letter from yesterday so you will probably get them on or around the same time. I am dying of homesickness. I miss you and your loving touch so much. Being away from you only causes me to love you more tenderly. You are the greatest thing in life to me. I love you dearly.When you receive my address there are a few things that I would like you to send me. If you would send me about five more zebra pens and more pictures of you. The pictures would be nice because I miss you a lot. Basic is going great. Rather I should say that reception is going great. I got another shot today. I took a hearing and a vision test today. Oh yeah I also got my boots today which complete my uniform. I now have a nice United Stares Army uniform with my name on it. I wish you could see me know. I?ve decided to start writing the date on the envelope so that we will know the c... More About: Letter , Letters
Letter From Basic # 1
2007-03-01 09:38:04 It has been about three weeks since my husband left for Basic Combat Training(BCT).I have received several letters from him and apologize for the delay in getting them posted for all of you to enjoy. The first letter that I received was dated February 8,2007 and this is what he wrote: Dear Sweetheart, I am having the time of my life. I arrived at Ft. Benning last night at midnight and that was when the fun really began. We began processing immeadiately: signing documents, dental checks, uniforms, and a thousand other things. They decided not to let us go to the barracks to sleep. Instead, they kept us processing. Needless to say, I am quite tired and yet I am still having lots of fun! We went to the PX today, which is basically a mini-military style Wal-mart. We had to buy new running shoes and a whole bunch of other things. I can hardly believe the amount of money that I spent, but all of the items were required. They said the money would be deducted from my firs... More About: Letter
My Final Good-Byes
2007-02-08 09:31:01 The church service last night was the last service that I will be attending here for a long time. Last night in church my pastor recognized me in front of the church. He had me to stand and asked everyone to be praying for me. He was very kind and his words were very encouraging.After the service, having heard pastor?s announcement about me, several veterans approached me to wish me luck and to relate some of their stories with me. Attending a large church like I do, I have yet to meet everyone who is a member here. Several of these men I had not previously met, but I was very glad to meet them and to hear them share their testimonies of service with me. They all wanted to know where I was headed to and what I wanted to do. Their faces lit up with smiles as they shook my hand, wished me luck, and promised to pray for me. It was very encouraging.I am told that during Basic Training, soldiers wait in hopeful anticipation during mail call. I know that I will be encouraged by a... More About: Final , Good , Fina
Only Six Days Remaining!
2007-02-08 09:31:01 Friends and Fellow Bloggers,There are now only six days left until I leave for Basic Combat Training. I am very excited. I have been taking and completing several military coresspondence courses via the internet over the course of thse past few days. As a result of some of the work that I have done and the score I received on my PT (Physical Training) test, I have recieved my first promotion prior to even shipping for Basic. I am now an E-2 which is a PV2 or Private Second Class. This means that I will get an extra $254 per month for having completed that work. Neither my wife nor myself have to work between now and next week. We are taking the time to go on some extra dates and spend some extra time together before I leave. On Saturday night we went to T.G.I. Fridays and yesterday we went to Golden Corral. We are going out to Applebees this Friday night and one of my friends will be taking us out to the Longhorn Steakhouse on Saturday night. Also, another friend gave us a ... More About: Main , Days , Only
Only Three Days Remaining!
2007-02-08 09:31:01 The countdown is getting lower every day! I leave on Tuesday!I have chosen not to post any Watchman Awards today. I will not be able to post any for the next several months so I decided to just cut them short today. My blog will, however, be updated with letters and updates as to my training status. Just because I am headed off for training doesn't mean that you all need to be strangers around here.I have also been very excited to learn that I have been promoted on the Google page rank system from a zero all the way up to a one. In case you are wondering, the Google page rank is a system that Google uses to determine how valuable a website is. It is a scale from zero to ten based on the number of inbound links and the number of visitors. When a Google search is performed, the sites with the highest page rank will probably appear at the top of the results list. I am very excited that Google actually recognizes my website. That is 100% thanks to my readers and supporters.La... More About: Main , Days , Only , Three
Only Four Days Remaining and The Friday Funnies
2007-02-08 09:31:01 Wow! The countdown is getting extremely low!Today my wife and I are going out on a very hot date! We are headed out to Applebees (her absolute favorite resaraunt), and then we are headed off to the Four Points Sheritan (a five star hotel) for a nice relaxing night away from home. I have really been looking forward to today.Lately I have been working on some correspondence courses via the internet. These correspondence courses are free through the military and, who knows, they might even give me a few promotion points some day down the road. I have taken several leadership courses and have tested out of some Math and English courses. Last night I completed the Self-Aid/Buddy-Aid course and am now working on another advanced Military English course. The picture at the right is of me sitting at the computer in our bedroom while working on these courses.Beginning late Wednesday night, the comments link on this blog began to not work. I assumed that blogger might be having some t... More About: Fun , Funnies , Main , Friday , Days
Only Five Days Remaining!
2007-02-08 09:31:01 There are now only five days remaining until I leave for Basic Combat Training. Life as I know it will be turned completely upside down. Don't run away from our blog, however. I will not be abandoning it. My wife will be posting the letters that we send back and forth. I went to Wal-Mart yesterday and bought a box of envelopes and some loose leaf paper. My wife and I addressed all of the envelopes with her name and address and then inserted a peice of paper into each one. This way I will have less items to store and it will be a little bit easier to be able to write a letter back home. I hope to write at least one or two letters per week while I am in Basic.This morning my wife is making me french toast for breakfast. My wife has got to be the best wife on this planet. She is the most smart, intelligent, loving, caring, and stubborn person that I have ever met. She is all of those qualities wrapped up into one beautiful package! I want to publicly state how thankful I a... More About: Main , Days , Only , Five , Five Days
Two Sides of the Same Coin!
2007-01-30 21:29:12 I recently heard of two stories that have made me completely sick to my stomach. How can our nation, which was founded on the principles of God?s Word, be treating those who stand for God with such blatant disrespect?The first story that I am posting here recounts the story of a chaplain who desired nothing more that to be able to pray as his conscience dictated. He simply wanted to be able to pray ?in Jesus? name.? Because of his stand for Christ, he lost his job, his career, his retirement?everything! America just turned their back on our founding principles again!How much more of this is God going to smile upon before he begins to get just a little bit upset? I know that I want to punch someone for doing this to this godly man. I want to shout and scream?I really do wonder how God, the one who is actually being attacked here, feels about all this. Sad?angry?hmmmm??A U.S. Navy chaplain who prayed ?in Jesus' name? as his conscience dictated is being ejected from the militar... More About: Sides , Side , Same , Coin
A Song For Sunday #3 - I'm A Child of the King
2007-01-30 21:29:12 Once I was clothed in the rags of my sin,Wretched and poor, lost and lonely within.But with wondrous compassion, the King of all kings,In pity and love, took me under His wings.CHORUS:Oh, yes, oh yes, I'm a child of the KingHis royal blood now flows in my veins.And I who was wretched and poor now can singPraise God, praise God, I'm a child of the King.Now I'm a child with a Heavenly home,My Holy Father has made me His own.And I'm cleansed by His blood, and I'm clothed in His love,And some day I'll sing with the angels above. More About: The King , Song , Sunday , Child
The Watchman Awards #8 - The Best Of 2007
2007-01-29 21:28:02 Welcome back friends and bloggers. I do apologize that my Watch man Award s are a day late this week. I try to have them posted each Saturday, but here it is Sunday. I?m sorry.I have spent the week exercising in an attempt to get ready for Basic Training. I leave on Feb. 6?only nine days away! Yesterday I ran eleven miles without stopping. It took me almost two hours, but I did it without stopping. I have been working back up to this kind of endurance running for the past month now and am finally beginning to get back into the shape I was in in High School. I ran six miles every morning before school during my senior year. I am a little sore but not nearly as much as I thought that I would be. I actually feel really good.Some of my friends give me a hard time because I am so skinny. They wonder what kind of strength someone as thin as I am can have. Well, I?m not entirely sure, but I do know that I can push myself as far as anyone else can?if not farther. I am beginning t... More About: War , Best
The Friday Funnies #2: Advice to our Wives
2007-01-26 09:27:01 Note: these all are numbered "1" on purpose:1. Learn to put up with the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down!1. Sunday = Sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.1. Crying is blackmail.1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Just say it!1. Yes or No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 days.1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad ... More About: Fun , Advice , Funnies , Wives , Friday
Calling All Veterans!
2007-01-24 21:25:02 I recently joined the United States Army and I leave for Basic Training on February 6, 2007...two weeks from today. I have in my contract the Airborne Ranger contract and will therefore me headed for Ft. Benning, Georgia for what is called "One Station Unit Training." At Ft. Benning, I will recieve my Basic Training, my Advanced Individual Training, my Airborne School, my Ranger Indoctrination Program, and eventually my Ranger School. I will be at Ft. Benning for a while.Since I joined, I have enjoyed the advice and memories of many men who have served in the United States military. If you have ever served in the military, I would love for you to share with us the dates of your service time, any memories that you might like to share, and some of the advice that you might offer to a young man getting ready to go in. If you have not personally served in the military, but one of your friends or loved ones has, please tell me about when they served, in which branch of the military,... More About: Alli , Veteran , Veterans , Calling , Call
The State of the Union Address 2007
2007-01-24 21:25:02 Here are some excerpts from the President?s Stat e of the Union Address . I was deeply moved by the story at the end regarding the young man from Independence, KY. I happen to live in Lexington, KY and am very proud to see a young man from this state serving proudly in the ranks of the United States Military with such valor and heroism. I can hardly wait to serve my country in the United States Military.?For all of us in this room, there is no higher responsibility than to protect the people of this country from danger. Five years have come and gone since we saw the scenes and felt the sorrow that the terrorists can cause. We've had time to take stock of our situation. We've added many critical protections to guard the homeland. We know with certainty that the horrors of that September morning were just a glimpse of what the terrorists intend for us -- unless we stop them.?With the distance of time, we find ourselves debating the causes of conflict and the course we have followed... More About: Dress
An Anti-American Email To Make Your Blood Boil!
2007-01-23 03:22:02 Below is an email exchange between a soldier stationed in Iraq and a company that sells different types of mats. He was inquiring as to whether or not the company ships overseas. He wanted to get the troops better gear to sleep on. This is the company?s response. I am floored. Please repost this so that this company will hear us loud and clear that we do not stand for this. Whatever your view is on this war - these troops are just following orders. Most are passionate about what they are doing. You can disagree with the war without disrespecting our troops. I apologize, but I cannot with a clear conscience post the way that this makes me feel that someone would say things like this. It just makes my blood boil!From: SGT Jason HessSent: Tue Jan 16 3:25Do you ship to APO addresses? I'm in the 1st Cavalry Division stationed in Iraq and we are trying to order some mats but we are looking for who ships to APO first.From: contact@discount-mats.comSent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 9:44 PM... More About: America , Mail , Email , Your , American
The Professional Christian Blogger #2: Blog Content Ideas
2007-01-22 15:22:01 Here are a list of the top ten sources that I use for gathering and creating blog ideas. If you put these ideas into practice you will probably not lack for creative blog topics and ideas. Good luck and happy blogging!Personal Bible Reading ? As a Christian , this should be a daily source of insight and wisdom. Those insights can become excellent sources of encouragement and challenge to those who may read your blog.Books, Newspapers, and Magazines - I?m increasingly finding inspiration in offline sources of information.Church ? It?s amazing how many ideas come from the sermons that I have heard. Be sure to use a notebook and jot ideas that you can share with other Christians via your blog.Hymns and Songs ? Songs and Hymns are filled with awesome Christian truths that can be excellent topics for blog articles.The Blog osphere - I find the writing of others often stimulates posts that build on, extend or bounce off their ideas. Don?t forget to dig around in other people?s archives ... More About: Ideas , Blogger , Profession
A Song For Sunday #2 - He Touched Me
2007-01-22 15:22:01 Shackled by a heavy burden,'Neath a load of guilt and shame;Then the hand of Jesus touched me,And now I am no longer the same.Chorus:He touched me, Oh, He touched me,And oh, the joy that floods my soul;Something happened, and now I know,He touched me and made me whole.Since I met this blessed Saviour,Since He cleansed and made me whole;I will never cease to praise Him,I'll shout it while eternity rolls. More About: Song , Sunday , Touch , Ouch
Hello everybody and thank you all for your support of my hus
2007-01-17 03:09:01 Hello everybody and thank you all for your support of my husband in this new venture. If you haven't already guessed, I am Nick's wonderful, fantastic wife.I recently told one of my friends who has been in the Military for 13 years that my husband joined the Army. This is the email that he sent in response to the exciting news.Diane,Great to hear from you. That's good news about Nick. As long as it's the will of God, You and Nick will be fine. Yes, separation is tough but you can do it. Just remember that it's only temporary. What does he want to be? If he is going to Ft. Benning for training I can guess he is in the infantry.This will be a major change for you and there will be things you will have to get used to. After his training is complete, you will move to a base somewhere. My advice is to live off post if it is possible. Katy and I just liked being in our own place away from work...you know what I mean. It's great having a regular pay check and full medical benefits. ... More About: Body , Port , Your , Support , Hell
Dear Friends and Fellow Bloggers,After much prayer and caref
2007-01-16 09:07:01 Dear Friend s and Fellow Blog ger s,After much prayer and careful consideration, my wife and I have decided to make a rather life-changing decision. As you may have now just guessed, I am about to make the exciting announcement that I mentioned in this past week?s episode of the Watchman Awards. Brace yourselves?I have joined the United States Army and will be leaving for Basic Training on Tuesday, February 6, 2007. I certainly hope that you will all be praying for my wife and I as we enter this phase in our lives. Although she supports me whole-heartedly, I know that this will be very hard on my wife for some time while we are apart and I would greatly appreciate your prayers for her.Blogging will probably slow down a bit during this time. I will try to send some periodic updates when I can get a chance. I will be sending some notes to my wife which she will post to the web. Don?t expect very much in this regard. I will also be sure to post the address where I can be mailed du... More About: Prayer
All throughout the New Testament, the Bible speaks of being
2007-01-15 15:05:01 All throughout the New Testament, the Bible speaks of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Yes, every believer is indwelt with the Holy Spirit, but the Bible refers to another more precise experience in one?s life. The Bible speaks of a time when men are definitely brought to a place where they are filled with the Holy Spirit in such a way that they are currently manifesting the graces of the Spirit in his life. Their lives are brought to a place of complete surrender to God and they are filled to overflowing with the power of the Spirit to do such things as win souls to Christ and preach the Word of God in power and authority. When the Spirit of the Lord begins to use a person whose heart is entirely yielded to God, things begin to happen that no person can explain away, except to say that God is in that man or woman?s life.The Spirit of the Lord is referred to in the Old Testament in the life of Samson. There were times that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson and he was ab... More About: Men , The N , Speak , Through
I have noticed several other blogs posting a hymn or a gospe
More articles from this author:2007-01-15 03:04:08 I have noticed several other blogs posting a hymn or a gospel song on Sundays and I have decided to follow suite...at least for a while. This first song in my series is a beutiful tribute to the wonderful, matchless grace that God has shown to this unworthy sinner. I struggled in my sin to find a place in this world until Jesus came along and shed his love abroad in my heart! He took me from a position of loss and heartache and placed me in a brand new family of love and victory. He placed me on the winning side!Once I drifted out in sin, had no hope nor joy withinAnd my soul was burdened down with pride (with sinful pride)Then my Savior came along and He showed me I was wrongNow I know I'm on the winning side (the winning side)Chorus:Well I am on the winning side, Yes I am on the winning sideOut in sin no more will I abide (no more in sin abide)I've enlisted in the fight for the cause of truth and rightPraise the Lord I'm on the winning side. (the winning side)From the strai... More About: Other , Post , Blogs , Blog , Have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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